The Butterfly Effect
by UnknownTitans
Summary: ONESHOT - When Warp attacks again, Robin is forced to make a crucial decision that could drastically change his past


The Titan alarm blared out through the early morning silence and within moments all of the Titans had arrived in the main room. Cyborg and Robin were the first, with Starfire Raven and a barely awake Beast Boy filing in from behind.

"It's Warp" Cyborg stated simply

"He's at the art gallery. He must be after the artefacts so he can sell them in the future" Robin elaborated

"Why does he have to be stealing artwork at 3 in the morning?" Beast Boy moaned

"Never mind the time Beast Boy" Robin said moving from his place at the terminal, "Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy, you guys get there first so you can hold him off till me and Cyborg get there. We'll take the car"

"Y'all keep him busy and make sure he doesn't get enough time to open any exit portals. Last thing we need to do is to have to explain to the owners how artwork just vanished into thin air" Cyborg added with a sigh.

"Everybody knows their task, Titans move out!" Robin commanded hopping into the passenger seat of the T-car.

* * *

By the time they had arrived, Warp was already loading priceless pottery into cases before moving onto the next piece of artwork

"You will cease your crimes immediately, Warp!" Starfire yelled, her hands glowing dangerously as she hovered above the ground in front of him whilst Beast Boy and Raven took place at either side of her

"Ahh the Titans, I didn't think you would respond so quickly, I congratulate you on your efforts" he paused looking around them as Robin and Cyborg ran in the entrance to the gallery "The whole team is here to stop me, I must say that I am flattered"

"Titans, attack pattern Epsilon!" Robin yelled

The team scattered and all attempted to flank Warp from each angle. Cyborg sprung from the left charging his cannon and blasting repeatedly at Warp but each shot seemed to just disintegrate on contact with Warp's shield. Starfire flew in from the right with a volley of starbolts but to similar effect as Cyborg's blasts, she bolted towards him to use her strength instead but she was blasted back before her fist made contact. Beast Boy leapt in as a T-Rex and charged the time traveller and managed to swipe the man's feet out from under him with the use of his tail. Robin charge forwards with his staff but Warp's gauntlets allowed him to completely block any of the strikes and after tiring him out he delivered a swift kick to the boy launching him backwards and skidding along the floor.

Starfire gasped as Robin rolled along the floor "Robin!" she cried rushing over towards his direction but was blasted to the floor by a shoulder mounted cannon.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted lifting 2 large metal pipes from beneath the floor and aiming them at Warp.

Warp scanned the room quickly and noticed his escape route as his eyes laid on the form of Robin who was clambering to his feet. He rushed over to the boy and as the remaining Titans readied to attack he caught the boy in a headlock and aimed one of his blasters to Robin's temple.

The Titans gasped at the sight, "I wouldn't do that if I were you Raven" Warp sneered as he gestured to pipes suspended in the air "I would probably survive the strike but I'm not sure if we can say the same about Robin here" he chuckled as he tightened his grip

Starfire rushed forwards hoping that it was a bluff but stopped dead in her tracks as Warp charged the blaster aimed at Robin's head, to showcase how incorrect she was. "You are not very bright are you dear?" he chuckled as he lifted his other hand and fired a shot knocking Starfire on her back.

Cyborg helped the alien back to her feet "What do you want Warp?"

"Well, isn't that a broad question. I wanted to steal some of the artwork here but since you children prevented me from doing so, I think what I really want is you Titans out of the picture" Warp replied with a smirk

"Yeah like that's ever gonna happen" Beast Boy answered with a mocking laugh

"'Ever', is correct my dear boy. I believe you have forgotten the technology I have access to" he replied again with an evil smirk

"So what, your plan is to go back in time and just get rid of the Titans? If you were able to do that then you would have done it already" Cyborg replied with a cocky smirk

"My suit uses biological data to travel through a person's timeline, because I am wearing the suit it means it will only use my timeline. However when your friend meddled with the device before it synced us to her timeline instead of my own" Warp explained before grinning maniacally at his hostage "However with Robin's biological data I can use his timeline instead of my own and change the course of history!"

Raven snarled "You can't just alter time and expect there to not be repercussions, Warp!"

"Oh my dear, that is the thing. I fully expect there to be repercussions" he replied with a smirk as he pressed Robin's hand to central device before a portal opened in front of them, "goodbye Titans" Warp said with a manic smirk as he began to step through the portal.

The others rushed forwards but by the time they had made it 3 steps, Starfire was already bolting forwards "You will not take him!" she screamed as she launched herself through the portal as it faded away behind her.

"Star!" Cyborg yelled as he desperately tried to reopen the portal, "Raven can you get any sort of lock on them?"

Raven reached forward and pressed her hand to where the portal was once stood "It's a faint signal, but it's far back, around 10 years back from what I can tell. We can all take a guess at where Warp planned on taking Robin"

"No….." Cyborg gasped, he paused tapping the console on his arm "I can get the portal open again but it's gonna take a while"

* * *

The world swirled and faded in and out of bright colours and strange shapes in this void of a dimension. Robin realised that he had at some point disconnected himself with Warp and now he was falling towards the event horizon. He scanned the scene in front of him and he could see Warp a few feet away from him angling towards the event horizon. He closed his eyes and he could feel himself slipping and he allowed himself to drift into the darkness.

Within what seemed like moments the silent realm was replaced by an almost deafeningly loud tent and he found himself to be face down on a cold dirt floor. He looked around and noticed the form of Warp disappearing into the crowd of people. He groaned and pushed himself up on his hands and observed the location, he recognised it instantly and his mind reeled with the possibilities of what Warp came here to do. His attention was redirected by the sound of a shriek and a thud from behind him.

He spun around and stared at the alien girl who had landed on the ground just behind him, "Star?" he asked in confusion

Starfire groaned and lifted herself up, before smiling brightly and wrapping her arms around the boy "Robin!"

"Why are you here?" he asked with concern

Starfire pondered for a moment, she didn't want to reveal the actual reason she followed "I did not wish for you have to have to battle Warp alone"

Robin sighed "You shouldn't have followed me Star, I didn't want you to get stuck here as well"

"My apologies" she replied sadly before turning around and scanning the location "we are in a circus yes? Why would Warp wish to bring you here?"

"It's not just any circus Star. Were in Haley's circus" Robin said with a long sigh

Starfire racked her brain for a minute trying to connect the dots before she gasped "Then Warp is planning to-"

"He's going to tamper with the death of my parents" Robin finished with a growl "By doing that it would stop me from me becoming Robin and so I wouldn't have left to form the Titans"

"Then we must stop him!" Starfire replied, although she noticed Robin's lack of a response

* * *

As they made their way quickly through the circus Robin's head was doing flips, Warp was torturing him with a choice, a choice that could mean saving his parents. He knew that he shouldn't even be considering this option but the more he thought about it, the more he actually started to consider the option. On one hand he had the Titans and Batman and all the experiences he has had after his parents death and on the other hand he has a chance to prevent his parent's murder.

As they burst through the crowd Robin stopped dead as he stared up to a high point of the circus tent, Starfire stopped next to him and looked up at the sight. Stood on a suspended platform were the flying Graysons preparing for their act. He pulled his eyes away from the sight quickly as if looking was forcing his decision, but as he looked away his eyes fell to the crowd who were already seated and his eyes focused on the small black haired boy sat amongst the crowd awaiting the event eagerly. His breath hitched in his throat as he stared at the boy. How could he allow the sadness and grief to happen all over again?

They arrived to the staging area and spotted Warp standing next to the machine which was fastening the ropes in place.

"The ultimate decision Robin, have you made your choice? Your worthless friends" he said pointing at Starfire "or your loving family. Which will it be Robin?" he looked up to the stage "looks like times running out, time to make the choice" he said with a grin as he sank into the floor

There was a long pause "I don't know if I can do it, Star" his tone ebbed with grief

"Do what Robin?" Starfire asked

"Stop Warp…I lost my family once, I'm not sure if I could let it happen again"

"But then, that would mean…." Starfire gasped

"I know, Star….I'm sorry"

Starfire put on a brave face and tried to smile comfortingly despite the fact that she wanted to cry "I understand Robin" she replied as a few tears began to run down her face. She walked up to the boy and kissed his lips lightly "I will not stop you Robin if this is what you believe you must do. However I will miss you dreadfully" she said through sobs as she turned away from him and made her way out from the backstage area and outside the tent.

Robin's head was flooded with thoughts and memories, working with Bruce and Batgirl, meeting the Titans, playing games with Beast Boy, working on the tower with Cyborg, discussing plans with Raven and finally the memories of the countless nights sitting talking to Starfire on the roof. The Graysons weren't his family anymore, Bruce, Barbara, Alfred and the Titans were his family and to change the past he would lose his real family.

* * *

"I've got a lock, the portal is starting to stabilise. You need to be quick in getting them out Raven" Cyborg instructed

Raven nodded in return and readied herself as the portal began to open up again

* * *

Starfire waited outside of the tent, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and her world was crumbling around her. The idea that all of the time she had spent on her new home Earth would be changed completely was terrifying to her. A series of loud shrieks and screams echoed through the tent and Starfire gasped.

She made her way back into the tent and saw the horrific sight in front of her and the people fleeing past her and out of the tent. Amongst all the commotion her heart grew sore at the sight of Robin trudging his way over to her, he kept his head faced forward and looked as if he was desperately trying to avoid looking. Once he reached her, Starfire wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I'm so very sorry about your family" she said sadly

"You're my family now Star" he turned and gestured at the small, black haired boy sat unmoving as he watched the bodies of his parents being taken away "his life will get better in time. Losing you guys would have only made mine worse"

Starfire took his hand and wound her fingers around his "Having you has certainly made my life better" to which Robin smiled back in return.

Before either of them even had a chance to gasp they were encircled by darkness and within moments were both stood back in the art gallery.

Robin staggered for a while before managing to regain his balance "What the hell just happened?"

Cyborg shrugged at him "We thought you had been in there long enough so I managed to reopen the portal and Raven came and grabbed you guys"

"What happened in there?" Beast Boy asked, to which Cyborg and Raven were also curious to know

Robin sighed deeply and slumped to the floor of the gallery "He took us back to the night my parents were killed and he essentially gave me the chance to save them"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Beast Boy replied

"Saving my family would mean I would have never became Robin and so we all may have never met. He knew that I'd want to save my parents and so he gave me the chance to do so" Robin answered

"Well then if you saved them then how are we here?" Cyborg asked quizzically

Robin cringed and Starfire took his hand again "I didn't save them" he replied with a deep sigh

Raven patted his shoulder gently "For what it's worth, thank you Robin"

"Yeah man, thanks" Cyborg added with a smile, he looked at his arm console "Well its 6am y'all, I don't know about you but I'm going to be bed"

"Agreed" Robin replied with a smile as he looped his arm around Starfire's waist and they all headed out of the art gallery.

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thanks for reading! Sorry if the end seems a bit rushed, I've been working on this story for like 3 days now and I really wanted to finish it.

I know I've used Warp in a couple of my stories already now but I really do like him as a villain and I think he should have been more prominent in the show rather than just one TV episode and an appearance in the comic, so I may or may not use him again in other stories.

 **Next Story:** Return of the Nega characters from the season 4 finale **"The End"**


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